Home & Away star Orpheus Pledger arrested in three-day manhunt after actor ‘stomped on woman’s head’ in brutal assault
HOME and Away star Orpheus Pledger has been arrested following a three-day manhunt.
The Australian actor allegedly stomped on a woman’s head in a brutal assault. Cops detained him for the first time earlier this week before he managed to escape and go on the run.
Victoria Police said he had been found on Thursday night (local time) and was quickly taken into custody.
Chilling CCTV footage released on Tuesday, shows an unnamed woman being grabbed from behind by her hair as she is pulled to the ground.
The attack, allegedly carried out by Pledger, happens just off camera but an eerie shadow appears to show him stomping on the female victim’s head.
The woman is said to have called the police saying “he’s coming” before the phone line was disconnected.
She suffered severe injuries including a haematoma on her head, cuts to her cheek and bruises.
The court heard how the female victim believed he would “eventually kill her” and has been supporting police with their investigation.
He was first arrested on March 25 and put into pre-trial detention for the alleged attack.
Pledger managed to escape the Royal Melbourne Hospital where he was being held under police guard.
He is believed to have got up and walked out of the hospital at 6.10pm on Monday after waiting six hours for his appointment – breaching his bail conditions.
He was being held at the hospital after his lawyer, Matthew MacCuspie, argued Pledger’s mental health was at risk if he stayed behind bars.
The plea was accepted and Pledger was sent to undergo involuntary inpatient mental health care on Monday.
Magistrate Justin Foster said he would not grant a similar order again after he “bent over backwards to try and offer someone mental health treatment as they require”.
He also expressed concern that a mental health patient had been left untreated and unseen for so many hours.
PLEDGER’S TV CAREER
He played Mason Morgan on the Aussie soap Home and Away for 339 episodes between 2016 and 2019.
The actor was previously arrested on drug charges in 2021 after he was found carrying crystal meth and valium.
He was handed a good behaviour order for six months, made to complete a drug awareness course plus pay a £78 fine ($150AUD).
He was also spared a criminal record and did not appear in court to face the charges.
Pledger shot to stardom as a child actor at just eight years old after his role in the kids series Silversun.
He later joined the cast of Neighbours as Noah Parkin in 2011 and then appeared on the hit show Home and Away as Mason Morgan.
The actor chose to leave the role in 2019 and was killed off in the season finale in November.
In February 2022, he starred in season three of SAS Australia but voluntarily withdrew after just two days.
He left during a psychological evaluation with Ant Middleton and Doctor Dan where they discussed his erratic behaviour.